More New State Stores (that are not near grocery stores)

Greetings, PLCB real estate specialist. Your mission is to find, have built or renovate, 4,500 square feet of retail space within walking distance of a grocery store. You have at least a dozen grocery stores in the area and three years to accomplish your mission. If you fail, the PLCB will deny any knowledge of your existence, your mission, and any money spent on it.

As an addendum to my post of the 26th, and a prime example of why "modernization" is going to turn out to be just another raft of lies, here's a bit more proof that the PLCB may not want to do -- or get done -- what they say they want to do. In 2011 the State Store at Crestview Drive in Lebanon closed. Now, over THREE YEARS LATER, the PLCB is going to open a new store in the Kmart shopping center at 1745 Quentin Road, supposedly in September of this year right between a hairdresser and a Dollar General. Given the PLCB's stated "modernization" goal (which the Democratic (and pro-PLCB quasi-Republican) legislators wave as an alternative to privatization) of locating more stores in or near grocery stores, that sounds great, right?

Well, guess what: there isn't a grocery store in the Kmart shopping center. While Kmart does carry food, it isn't a full-fledged grocery store, like the Weis, Giant, Aldi or Foodland (the nearest, in a different plaza across the street), all of which are in nearby shopping centers. Maybe the Dollar General store next door fits the PLCB idea of a grocery store? Or is it that Foodland being across a busy street in another plaza is the PLCB's idea of "one-stop shopping"?

Remember, this is after having over 3 years to do what they say they want to do. It's not like it snuck up on them. So you have to ask....do they really give a damn about consumer convenience, or are they just giving lip service? Then ask yourself why it even took three years to replace the store that closed? Would a private retailer ignore customers for that long? Of course not, but a monopoly can because they know the customers aren't allowed to and can't go anywhere else. That is what they call world class service.

It seems to be another fine example of the PLCB not doing what they say they want to do. But at least we do know what floor polish will be on the floors.